Market extravaganza comes to Darlington

MARKET TOWN: 40 traders will descend on Darlington this weekend as part of the Love Your Local Market event

FIRE-EATERS and stilt walkers will be on hand to entertain shoppers as a national campaign to boost the local economy comes to Darlington.

The Love Your Local Market campaign will see 40 traders descend on the town as part of a celebration of markets and to increase visitors to the high-street.

The event runs from 9am to 5pm tomorrow (Saturday, May 24) and 10am to 4pm on Monday.

As well as market traders, the event will also feature live music and family entertainment at Joseph Pease Place, as well as circus performers , fire-eaters and stilt walkers.

The event is running alongside the Distinctly Delicious Darlington Festival of Food, which runs throughout the bank holiday weekend and features street theatre performances, cookery demonstrations, outdoor cinema screenings and a parade of a huge Locomotion No1 made of cake.

For more information on markets in Darlington call 07966-487-773 or 01325-388692 or visit darlington.gov.uk/market or facebook.com/darlingtonmarkets

Encourage tourists then close public toilets so they have nowhere to go.

And as for blaring music has it ever ocurred to these people that lots of us don't like noise pollution rammed down our ears. I can stand a brass band but these staged shows with electronically amplified noise deserve the instigators being hanged from a handy lamp post until they promise to keep quiet

Encourage tourists then close public toilets so they have nowhere to go.
And as for blaring music has it ever ocurred to these people that lots of us don't like noise pollution rammed down our ears. I can stand a brass band but these staged shows with electronically amplified noise deserve the instigators being hanged from a handy lamp post until they promise to keep quietMadadrian

Hands up, who finds giant cake and stilt walkers exciting ?
Blaring music is not guaranteed to suit everyone`s personal taste either.
People want FACILITIES like toilets, cheap parking, seats and safe play area for kids if they are having a bank hol event. Could be, subtle music like buskers or local schools bands, gentle brass band, would add to not detract from atmosphere. Do the council have a clue ? Better still support our own businesses, let them put stalls outside their shops, or have a window display competition ? Not bring extra market traders in to compete. Ridiculous.

Hands up, who finds giant cake and stilt walkers exciting ?
Blaring music is not guaranteed to suit everyone`s personal taste either.
People want FACILITIES like toilets, cheap parking, seats and safe play area for kids if they are having a bank hol event. Could be, subtle music like buskers or local schools bands, gentle brass band, would add to not detract from atmosphere. Do the council have a clue ? Better still support our own businesses, let them put stalls outside their shops, or have a window display competition ? Not bring extra market traders in to compete. Ridiculous.Awake-in-Darlo

I'm not convinced a few street entertainers will reverse the evident decline of our town.

What remains to attract out of towners into the town now? Answers on a discarded Gregg's Bag - available free of charge on High Row.

Well, once upon a time we had a MARKET SQUARE with a market in it...
I'm not convinced a few street entertainers will reverse the evident decline of our town.
What remains to attract out of towners into the town now? Answers on a discarded Gregg's Bag - available free of charge on High Row.Jan Van-Winkel

Market place, --Yes I remember that experience in Darlington many years ago! It was always packed with entrepreneurial traders, some who came from as far away as Bradford ,Leeds and South Yorkshire! They were real entertainers too! A large truck was loaded with goods, parked in the market and goods were touted as 'bargains' by artful ,cheeky but 'street savvy' traders! It was fun listening to them go through their repertoire and then adding more to the package on sale that would 'really hook the punters'. Alas that's all missing nowadays! No fun or enjoyment now! people on stilts? Seems like a council analogy, people who came from below to a higher place but cannot possibly remain there!

Market place, --Yes I remember that experience in Darlington many years ago! It was always packed with entrepreneurial traders, some who came from as far away as Bradford ,Leeds and South Yorkshire! They were real entertainers too! A large truck was loaded with goods, parked in the market and goods were touted as 'bargains' by artful ,cheeky but 'street savvy' traders! It was fun listening to them go through their repertoire and then adding more to the package on sale that would 'really hook the punters'. Alas that's all missing nowadays! No fun or enjoyment now! people on stilts? Seems like a council analogy, people who came from below to a higher place but cannot possibly remain there!SirLance